Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Archie and pals come to screen life in Riverdale

Archie and pals come to screen life in
Riverdale

by rick olivares

Riverdale, the upcoming new
television series from the CW that is based on the Archie comics cast of
characters albeit with the modern sensibility infused in the comic book
version, is generating a lot of buzz.

The Archie franchise has been
high profile in the last three years beginning with the comic book series
Afterlife with Archie that placed these eternal teenagers in the midst of a
zombie apocalypse and the Archie reboot courtesy of top creators Mark Waid and
Fiona Staples. Clearly, these aren’t the trivial stories that kids asked their
parents to purchase off the racks of groceries and book stores.

And to celebrate the 75th
anniversary of this long-standing pop culture franchise, there’s a live action
on-going series featuring Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and the rest of the
gang as they figure in a more mature, darker teen drama that’s filled with
secrets, affairs, and – gasp -- murder. Clearly, this isn’t the Archie comics of
our youth.

Riverdale, which will premier
this coming January 26, stars a lot of newcomers with New Zealander KJ Kapa in
the titular role of Archie Andrews. Kapa, who hails from New Zealand is a
virtual newcomer to Hollywood as he only appeared in two films that were both
shown in his home country – Shortland Street and Cul-De-Sac. “Riverdale”
represents his international debut.

Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes
respectively play Archie’s rivals for his affection in Betty Cooper and
Veronica Lodge. Reinhart played supporting roles in films like The Good
Neighbor, Miss Stevens, and The Kings of Summer. Her portrayal of Betty Cooper
represents her first big and much-hyped role.

The stunning Mendes is likewise a
newbie and had filmmakers scrambling to land her after seeing her perform at
the New York University drama conservatory.

Cole Sprouse, who portrays
Archie’s best friend, Jughead Jones, despite also being a youngster, is perhaps
the one with the more impressive resume having appeared in the sitcom Friends,
the film Big Daddy with Adam Sandler, and the indie suspense film, The Kings of
Appletown.

And speaking of resumes, the most
known member of the cast is none other than 1980s star who plays Molly Ringwald
plays his mother, Mary. Ringwald appeared in popular films like Sixteen
Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Something to Live For: The Alison
Gertz Story, and the television series that adapted Stephen King’s best-selling
novel, The Stand.

Archie Comics’ Chief Creative
Officer, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who cut his eye teeth writing the television
musicale, Glee, and writing for Marvel Comics, is the series writer.
Aguirre-Sacasa was appointed Archie Comics’ CCO after turning the company
around with Afterlife with Archie.

Riverdale is produced by Greg
Berlanti who produced popular shows such as Dawson’s Creek, Arrow, The Flash,
and Legends of Tomorrow.

With
the Archie Comics revival reaching bigger audiences, Riverdale will no doubt
bring in more fans if not readers to this beloved franchise.